The Rescue
by Mistyeye
Summary: Five years after Coda, Carl is now 18 and the living are causing more of a problem than the dead. Written for PrintDust's holiday exchange challenge. Some mention of character death.


**A/N This one shot was done for PrintDusts Holiday exchange 2014 collection. There are 14 excellent, complete stories there, all worth a look. **

**My prompts were Carl, mistletoe/snow and midnight cuddles. I don't know who set these prompts but I hope they like the finished attempt.**

**Mention of character deaths.**

**Thanks for reading and have a great Christmas.**

Carl's feet pounded through the undergrowth as he ran. His pursuers were finally falling behind, their shouts and jeers becoming more distant. At last he felt safe enough to stop, folding in half as he gasped for breath, sides hurting as he gulped air into his lungs.

As his body recovered he tried to process everything that had happened to get him to this point. Things had been going fine; they had three working vehicles with enough fuel to last them a while and supplies for a few days. By their standards they were doing well. The five years since losing Beth and fleeing the Hospital in Atlanta had been hard.

The image of Daryl openly crying as he'd carried Beth's lifeless body outside and over to Maggie remained with him to this day. None of them had ever seen the tough hunter so broken. It had taken a long time for him to come back from the dark place Beth's death had taken him. Typically he'd blamed himself, saying it was his fault she'd been taken, that he should have looked harder for her. Even Maggie's tearful reassurances that he'd done everything he could, and more, hadn't been enough. He'd retreated into himself, pulling away from the group, spending more and more time hunting alone, or leaving them for days at a time as he searched for a safe place for them to stay. He always returned eventually and finally it had been little Judith, almost 18 months old by then, who had bought him back properly. He arrived back at the small camp and handed a string of squirrels to Carol, before turning away and sitting silently by the fire to clean his bolts. Judith had pulled herself from Rick's lap and toddled over to him, arms outstretched as she smiled up at him.

"Darl" she lisped as she wrapped her arms around his neck, making him freeze in surprise.

"She misses you" Rick smiled at the sight "She always looks for you when you're away" Finally the hunter had returned the girls embrace, letting her settle into his lap. He glanced up at Rick.

"Guess I'd better stop going off then, don't want Asskicker gettin' upset" From that moment he slowly began to come back to them.

The group had headed for Richmond, taking Noah to find his family. They'd found his Uncle on a farm with several others and been invited to stay but decided the farm couldn't support so many people and it was best to move on. Father Gabriel had stayed, as had Rosita and Abraham. The former soldier was still coming to terms with Eugene's lies and needed a place to stay while he decided what to do next. Rosita declared she wasn't about to leave him so the rest of the group reluctantly said goodbye, telling them to stay safe.

The next few months were spent on the road before they finally came across an abandoned army camp. The wire fences were damaged but repairable and the large military tents offered some shelter from the elements. They'd stayed there for several weeks before being forced out by a herd of walkers that came through one night. That was the night they lost Tyreese, bitten as he defended his sister. Sasha had been inconsolable as she watched her brother die then insisted she was the one to prevent him from turning.

After that they were back on the road, surviving however they could. Food was getting scarce and ammo was almost impossible to find, they had to rely more and more on blades and Daryl's crossbow. New bolts were all but non-existent but at least Daryl could make his own . It wasn't easy but they were making it.

The months had turned to years and they found fewer walkers to deal with but the living became more of a problem. Those that had survived this long were those prepared to do what it took to live, regardless of right or wrong. Time and again they had to defend themselves from attack, people after what they had and willing to take it by force. It was one such attack that cost them Tara, shot by a man for the pack on her back. He didn't last for long after her death, Eugene had learned to fight to defend himself and those he cared for and he'd been fond of the young woman. The others had watched as he'd dealt with Tara's killer, coldly and efficiently. Since then they had been on the road, staying no more than a day or two in any location, always on the move.

Carl's breath evened out and he decided to move back the way he'd come, planning to make his way back to the road where he'd been forced to leave the others. Keeping an ear open for any danger he made his way through the trees. He'd learned a lot from Daryl in the last few years and could now move almost silently through the woods. He could hunt and track almost as well as the older man but wasn't anything like as good with the crossbow. Daryl had decided to teach him everything he knew, telling him someone needed to know how to do it in case anything happened to him. Rick was useless in the woods, hopeless at hunting and Daryl had given up trying to teach him, Glenn was no better, seeming to find every twig to step on or making a noise at just the wrong time. When it cost them a deer they'd been tracking for hours Daryl refused to take him out anymore. He'd told Rick the only one with any chance of learning was his son or maybe Michonne. She'd refused, saying it was better if Carl learnt and that had been it. They started the next day and he found he'd been a quick learner, impressing even the hardened Daryl with his ability.

Through the trees Carl could see the damaged car, the doors still open. As he got closer he could see the body in the front passenger seat, slumped forward, head resting on the dashboard. Cautiously he approached, alert for any sound or movement. He reached the edge of the trees and peered out, gun in hand. The other two cars were gone, the abandoned one stripped of anything useful. He could see Maggie's blood on the back seat and on the ground next to the vehicle. Briefly he closed his eyes, the sounds of the shots and her screams of pain echoing in his head. He remembered Glenn's frantic yells at him to run for the trees and not look back. He'd done as he was told for once, turning as soon as he was under cover, raising his gun, searching for their attackers.

He'd seen the other two cars stop, those inside throwing themselves out, using the vehicles for cover as they'd tried to see where to shoot. He'd seen a bullet just miss Carol as she'd protected 6 year old Judith against her chest and Daryl take a bullet to the shoulder as he pulled the woman and child behind him, standing to fire into the darkness of the trees where the shots had come from, hitting someone. Carl had fired his own gun, satisfied to hear a yell of pain as his bullet found a target. At once a hail of bullets had raked the trees around him, forcing him to dive for shelter. Somehow he hadn't been hit and he managed to fire again, this time unsure if he'd hit anything.

Michonne had made a dash for the trees, katana in hand and he knew she was trying to get around behind the people shooting at them. Glenn had pulled the injured Maggie from the damaged car and was protecting her with his own body as he tried to stop the flow of blood from the wounds in her thigh and side, calling her name desperately to keep her with him.

Eugene was in the front seat, when the bullets had sprayed the moving car, he hadn't stood a chance, taking several hits and dying instantly. Maggie, behind him in the rear, had been hit twice, though not yet fatally.

The men had come from the trees, two of them dragging Glenn from Maggie's side, laughing at his attempts to fight them off. Two more had shown themselves, Michonne held at gunpoint between them, demanding the others surrender unless they wanted to see her dead. Carl was satisfied to see the blood on the katana one of the men held, it meant she had managed to get at least one of them before they captured her. Glenn was shoved forward, a gun to his temple, as he tried to get back to his wife. Carl hadn't known what to do; he only had two bullets left and couldn't risk the lives of his family. He backed further into the woods, knowing if he was captured he would be unable to help his group.

Rick had stood, dropping his gun and raising his arms, not seeing any other way of saving the lives of his people. Slowly the others had followed his lead. The men had ordered them to come out from behind the cars and kneel on the road. One was clearly the leader and he approached the injured Daryl, standing over the fuming hunter as he knelt. He'd said something about those that killed his men would be punished before leaning down and digging his fingers into the gunshot wound, twisting them roughly, opening up the gaping wound even further. Daryl had remained silent, annoying the man even more and he'd pulled his hand away, reaching into his pocket, bringing out a hip flask. Two of his men had pulled Daryl down, pinning him to the ground, ripping his shirt from his shoulder, as the man poured the contents of the flask over the wound. The burn of the alcohol had caused Daryl to cry out. They had let him go then, dragging him back to his knees and moving on to Carol, ripping the sobbing, frightened Judith from her arms. Both Rick and Daryl had lunged forward to get to the child. Both had been pulled back and several of the men had laid into them. Unable to hold back Carl had fired, taking out one of the men. His last bullet had only injured one of the others and the leader had issued an order. Several of the men had headed towards him, and he froze again not knowing what to do. Rick's voice had screamed at him to run and he had. The men had pursued him for miles, shouting and whooping, enjoying the chase, before he had finally lost them. Now he was back at the scene of the attack and had no idea where to go.

His eyes searched the road for any clue as to where they had gone. It was getting dark and he knew he would have to find somewhere to spend the night. Reluctantly he moved away from the road, hoping to find a cabin or farm, even a barn. It was winter and the nights were cold, he needed to find shelter, he would start the search at first light.

Finally he saw the dark outline of a small building just off the side of the road. As he got closer he realised it was a rest stop. Carl sighed with relief, it wasn't ideal but it was better than nothing. As he approached it he gathered a few twigs and branches, deciding it might be worth the risk of a small fire. Placing the bundle of kindling down by the door he drew his knife and cautiously opened it. It was silent and empty, no sign of anything living or dead. A quick glance under the doors revealed no sign of anything in the cubicles so he collected his wood and closed the door behind him. Quickly he built a small fire, using the lighter Daryl had given him, satisfied to hear the soft crackles as the flames took hold. He was so engrossed in the fire that he didn't hear the door to one of the toilet cubicles open. The first he was aware of someone else in the room was when the heavy object smashed into the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

When he woke he found his hands bound tightly with his own belt. His head was pounding as he glanced around the small space, trying to see who had hit him.

A few feet away he saw a young girl huddled on the floor, watching him with frightened eyes. She looked about his own age and was thin and dirty. Her hair was matted and hung down her back in limp strands. She wore ripped jeans and a torn shirt, grubby sneakers on her feet. Carl could see her shaking, but didn't know if it was from the cold or fear.

"Why'd you hit me?" he asked, shaking his head slightly to try and clear it. "I wouldn't hurt you"

She stared at him silently, refusing to answer.

"I'm Carl" he tried "What's your name?" When he was still met with silence he decided to give her one more chance,

"I'm looking for my family, we were attacked on the road a few miles back. I got separated and don't know how to find them" He looked at her hopefully "Have you seen anyone else?"

She finally met his eyes and he realised hers were a bright green.

"Did you have a little girl with you, about 5 or 6 years old?" she whispered. When he nodded her eyes filled with sympathy.

"I'm sorry" she said softly "You're not going to see them again"

Carl bit back the sudden tears that threatened.

"Where are they?" he demanded "Are they dead?"

"Some will be soon, those that aren't will wish they were" she reached out and touched his arm softly "I'm sorry" she said again.

He shook his head in denial.

"Where are they? If they're not dead yet I can help them" he glared at her "Tell me where they are" he fought to free his arms from the belt.

"They were taken by the people I was with" she started hesitantly. "The people at the camp will trade those they can for whatever they can get. That's usually the women and children. The little girl will fetch a good trade. There's not many that young around now. The warrior woman and the slim girl will go as well. They'll probably let the injured woman die, she's pretty but it will take too much to heal her. The older woman, they'll keep, probably put her to work in the kitchens. The men I'm not sure about. They have plans for the injured one, apparently he killed one of theirs so they'll make him pay. I've seen them take days to kill someone before. It was horrible" she wrapped her arms around her thin body as she shuddered.

"It would be better if someone put a bullet in his head, made it quick" she wouldn't meet his eyes as she continued

"The other two men, they'll keep around for a while. Maybe put them to work on the camp defences or perhaps to get their kicks out of using them as punching bags. It's hard to tell what will happen. They see other men as threats and not worth anything to them. I doubt they'll last long"

Carl's eyes were wide as he listened to her and he could feel the anger rising.

"I have to try and help them. Let me go and show me where they are" his voice rose along with his temper.

"Quiet"" she hissed "They're probably looking for me and I know they're still searching for the one that got away. I guess that's you" she glared at him "I'm not going back there. I'll hit you again if you don't quiet down" she picked up the ceramic lid of a toilet cistern from the floor next to her, gripping it tightly.

Carl felt an unexplained bubble of laughter well up in his chest.

"That's what you hit me with?" he tried to hold back the inappropriate chuckle and saw her fight a small grin.

"I'm sorry, but I thought they'd found me. It was only after I hit you I realised you were a stranger" she explained "I told you I won't go back there"

"How did you get out?" Carl asked her, all sign of childish humour gone.

"They bought the cars in first, then your friends on foot, they'd made them carry the supplies from the damaged car and they were resisting. The injured one started a fight, then the others joined in, it all went mad and in the confusion I managed to slip out un-noticed. By the time they saw me I was almost out of sight and I managed to lose them"

Carl gave a slight smile, trust Daryl to be the one to kick it all off.

"Please, you have to help me" he tried to appeal to her "The little girl's my sister, Judith. One of the men is my Dad and the others might as well be family, we've been together so long. Please help me try and rescue them"

She didn't reply, just watched him for a long, few minutes before reaching out and undoing the belt binding him.

"I'll show you where they are, but I can't get too close. I won't risk getting caught again"

His eyes met hers briefly.

"I won't let that happen" he promised.

The girl told him her name was Eve and she had been at the camp for several years. The only reason she hadn't been traded was because her father had been one of the men who ran the camp. When he had been killed the rest had let her stay, untouched, as a mark of respect for the man, but they expected her to earn her keep and as she got older she saw the way some of them began to look at her. She thought she was about 17 years old but wasn't totally sure. Eve informed him that there were about 30 men, all heavily armed and always alert, making sure there was someone on watch at all times. She had run as soon as she got a chance as she couldn't stand to see was going on around her. The cruelty was one thing, but the enjoyment the men took in inflicting pain and fear on others was too much.

Eve described as much as she could about the layout of the camp and the probable whereabouts of the prisoners. She told him where the guards were likely to be stationed and where the weapons were kept. Once she had filled him in on everything she could they decided it was time to go. Eve would show him the way then leave, letting him do whatever was necessary to free his friends and family.

They opened the door to the rest room and set out, keeping off the road, using the trees for shelter. It was barely light and very cold, fine snowflakes starting to fall as they made their way towards the camp. Finally Eve pointed out the fence that surrounded an old plantation style house. There were several outbuildings nearby and armed men patrolled the boundaries at all times. A man with an assault rifle and binoculars stood atop a raised platform, scanning the surrounding area.

They watched for a while, Carl taking note of the time it took each man to walk his route, noting that they weren't as attentive as they should be. They had the cocky arrogance of strength, the belief that they were stronger and better than everyone else. Carl saw that as a weakness.

A commotion at one of the outbuildings caught their attention. Carl stiffened as he saw several men enter the shed, returning a few seconds later, two dragging a resisting Daryl with them. The others backed through the door, guns still aimed at those inside, before slamming it shut and relocking it.

Daryl was forced to his knees as a man approached him, a smirk on his face.

"That's Del, he's the one in charge. Your friend's in trouble if he's here already. He's not an early riser" Eve whispered.

They were too far away to hear what was said but Carl knew Daryl had pissed Del off when the man lashed out, the heavy blow snapping the restrained hunters head back. He was pulled to his feet and surrounded by men. As Carl watched in horror as they advanced.

"They always start with a beating to soften the victim up. The real punishment will start later" Eve's soft voice distracted him from the sight. "There's still time to save him from the worst of it"

Reluctantly Carl backed away, letting Eve lead him back into the trees. The snow was falling harder now and they were both freezing cold and hungry. They needed to come up with a plan and move quickly.

Eve gave a sudden smile and jumped to her feet. She moved to a nearby tree and began to pick the small white berries from the climbing shrub entwined with it's branches. Carl stepped beside her, grabbing a handful of the sticky fruit. As he was about to stuff them into his mouth Eve grabbed his arm.

"No, you can't eat them. It's mistletoe, the berries and leaves are poisonous" Carl gave her a confused look.

"Then why are you picking them?" he asked.

Eve flashed him a grin.

"I've got a plan" she told him.

Carol was reluctantly making a large vat of oatmeal for the inhabitants of the camp. She'd been pulled from the group and shoved into the house. Del had told her she would be the new cook being as their old one had left them unexpectedly the night before. She was told it would be harder for her friends if she didn't co-operate so she was grudgingly obeying, all the time searching for a way out. She'd seen what had happened to Daryl and had fought back tears as she saw them drag his battered body back into the shed with the others. Her mind was working overtime as she desperately tried to come up with a plan.

A commotion outside caught her attention. A young girl was being lead towards the house. She saw Del approach her and say something. The girl hung her head, not meeting his eyes. He grabbed her chin and forced her head up, leaning close as he spoke. Carol saw the girl nod, as her eyes filled with tears. Del put a hand on her back and pushed her towards the house. The girl was shoved into the kitchen, eyes downcast.

"Our cook came back" Del pushed her towards Carol "Seems she didn't like it out there on her own. Looks like you got yourself an assistant" He paused at the door.

"I'm expecting breakfast pretty damn soon. It'll be hard on your friends if it's late"

As soon as he was gone the girl lifted her head.

"Are you Carol?" she whispered. Carol gave her a small nod.

"How did you know?" she asked the girl.

"Carl told me about all of you. I'm Eve, we've got a plan to get you all out"

Carol didn't bat an eyelid, she'd learnt a long time ago never to judge by appearance, some of the strongest people she knew had looked the most frail.

"What can I do?" Carol was more than willing to help. She smiled as Eve pulled off her shirt, turning one sleeve inside out. A sticky mess of squashed, white berries fell to the work surface.

"I'm ahead of you" Carol laughed as she scooped them up, dropping them into the huge pot of bubbling oatmeal.

Carl made his way through the trees, heading back towards the camp. He waited patiently, hoping their plan would work. He been pleased and surprised when Eve had offered to go back through the fence, letting herself be recaptured so she could get the berries to the kitchen. He still wasn't sure what had made her decide to help him but he was glad, he knew he wouldn't have been able to do it alone.

It wasn't long before the guard on the platform started shouting he could see smoke. Del climbed up next to him and took the binoculars.

"Looks like a campfire" he called down to one of the others "Take 10 men and go see what you can find"

Carl smiled when he saw a frown cross the Del's face and he put a hand to his stomach. It looked like Eve's plan was working.

A few minutes later the gate opened and three cars pulled out, heading towards the smoke they had spotted. At once Carl headed toward the fence, moving close to the shed he knew his family was in. The snow muffled any sound he made and he knew it would leave obvious footprints leading to his whereabouts but he had no choice. He had to move fast. Once the group of men reached the smoke they would find nothing but a large pile of smouldering wet leaves and know they had been tricked. They would head back to the camp and there would be too many for them to deal with.

There was no sign of any guards near the fence so Carl vaulted quickly over, ducking behind an abandoned truck. Peering out he saw the guard on his hands and knees, clutching his stomach as he vomited onto the ground. Silently he pulled his knife out and crept up behind the hunched man. He preferred to use a gun but was good enough with a knife and it wasn't long before the sick man was despatched. Using the poisonous berries had been an inspired idea .

He made his way to the back of the shed and peered through a gap in the boards. Inside he saw his father pacing angrily, Michonne holding Judith, stroking the back of her head, mumbling comforting words. Glenn was sitting on the ground, Maggie's head in his lap. Carl could see bandages on her wounds and that she was conscious. It looked like she had received some basic first aid. Sasha was trying to treat a grumbling, bruised Daryl. Carl bit back a smile as Daryl knocked her away, mumbling something about damn women that couldn't keep their hands to themselves.

He was so distracted by the sight of his family that he didn't hear the man approach from behind. He froze at the sound of a gun cocking.

"Turn around slowly, hands where I can see them" the gruff voice ordered. Carl straightened, moving his arms out to the side, holding his knife loosely.

"I guess you're the son of a bitch we were looking for yesterday" The man tried to grin, but his face was a sickly shade of green and despite the snow he was covered in a thin film of sweat. He swayed slightly as he raised the gun higher.

"Del's gonna be real pleased to see you" he indicated with the weapon, telling Carl to start walking in front of him, towards the house. They had only gone a few steps when he heard a grunt and a thud. Turning Carl saw the man out cold on the ground. Eve was standing behind him, a grin on her face, a tyre iron in her hands.

"That felt good" she kicked the man at her feet. "This one had a real problem with keeping his hands to himself" She handed the tyre iron to Carl and picked up the fallen man's gun.

"Pry open the boards, let's get your family out of there" she turned, raising the weapon and covering him as he levered the boards apart. It wasn't long before he had made a gap big enough to squeeze through.

Rick and the others rushed to him, his Father giving him a quick, relieved embrace. Moving fast they pushed their way outside and Eve handed the rifle to Rick.

With Eve leading the way they headed towards the parked vehicles, Glenn supporting a limping Maggie and Sasha trying to help Daryl, despite his protests that he was okay.

Most of the guards they saw were feeling too sorry for themselves to even try and apprehend the escaping group. Several were hunched over, groaning and clutching their stomachs. Those who did try to stop them were quickly dealt with and their weapons taken and wasn't long before they arrived at their stolen vehicles.

Carol was already behind the wheel of one and Rick claimed the driver's seat of the other. Michonne clutched Judith to her as she squeezed into the back with Glenn and Maggie and Daryl settled into the passenger seat, already complaining about the loss of his crossbow. Carl and Eve ran to the gate, pulling it open as the two cars began to move. They threw themselves into the back of the second one as the vehicles picked up speed and raced away from the camp, leaving the gate wide open behind them. The noise of the revving engines had already drawn a couple of walkers towards the now exposed camp, and Carl watched in satisfaction as the first made its way inside.

They hadn't gone far when they saw the three cars returning from investigating the fire. With a curse Rick accelerated, hurtling along the road towards the small convoy, Carol doing her best to keep up with him. They were alongside the returning vehicles before the men inside realised who they were. Sasha, in the passenger seat next to Carol, had already opened her window and as they flashed past the lead car she fired the hand gun she'd taken in their escape. Their ears ringing from the blast in the confined space the foursome saw the car start to veer to the side, the injured driver fighting to keep control. As it span round the second car tail ended it, bringing both to a halt. The third had managed to stop in time to avoid an accident and was already turning in the road, its occupant's intent on stopping those fleeing.

From the corner of his eye Rick saw a several shots hit the road, throwing up small chips of asphalt as the passengers opened fire from the car behind. In the back Michonne handed Judith to Glenn before twisting herself round and, half hanging out of the window, started to return fire. Carol pulled alongside Rick, keeping pace with him and keeping out of the way of Michonne's fire. Sasha used the handgun and between them the two women forced the pursuing vehicle to drop back.

"Guns almost empty" Michonne grunted as she slipped back into her seat. "What else we got?"

Rick glanced in the rear view mirror; the car was creeping closer again, its occupants becoming braver due to the lack of shots aimed their way. A sudden idea struck him.

"Hold on" he yelled, instantly slamming his foot down on the brake pedal. He struggled to control the car as it tried to slide on the snowy road. All his police driving training came back to him as he steered into the skid, keeping the vehicle straight. Carol hadn't been expecting him to slow down and continued racing down the road. The pursuing car kept coming, not anticipating this action. The driver swerved, just missing driving into the back of the now near stationary vehicle. As it shot past, Rick yanked the steering wheel to the side. There was a sickening, crumpling sound as the front of his car hit the back end of the other, sending it into a spin. Before it had finished moving, Rick, Michonne and Daryl were running towards it. Rick had Carl's knife and he used it on the driver as he tried to pull himself out of his seat. Daryl pulled the passenger out, slamming his head against the hard pavement before he had a chance to react. The remaining man tried to surrender but Michonne swung the empty rifle, leaving him unconscious on the road. Quickly they gathered up all the weapons they could find before dashing to the side of the road, hiding themselves from view. Carol had stopped further up the road and Rick waved her on, indicating she get out of sight.

Glenn was still with Maggie and Judith in the back seat, protecting them both as well as he could. It wasn't long before they heard an approaching engine. A Ford truck came into view, slowing when the occupants saw the accident. The truck crept closer and Rick could see Del behind the wheel. Behind the truck he could see another car, its front crumpled and bent, he realised it was one of the three cars that had originally tried to come after them.

Slowly they moved closer, before finally stopping. Two men climbed from the cab and approached the men's bodies on the road. Glancing nervously around one checked for survivors.

"1 dead, 2 alive" he called to Del

"Any sign of the sons of bitches that did this?" the leader demanded.

As the man shook his head, Rick stood and fired, Michonne and Daryl not far behind, bullets strafing through the car and the men standing alongside it. As his men fell to the gunfire Del gunned the accelerator, pushing the truck down the road. He'd only gone a mile or so when a flash of movement caught his eye. Before he could react the truck was blindsided. The wheel was ripped from his hands and he lost control of the heavy Ford. It slid across the icy road, the nearside tyres left the pavement and it began to roll as it slipped into a ditch running parallel to the blacktop. When it finally stopped moving, lying upside down, half in the ditch Del saw what had hit him. A car was parked a few yards away, it's front fender buckled and broken. As he tried to open the cab door, two women slipped from the car and headed towards him. He recognised one as the woman he'd set to cook for them, the other as one of the prisoners he'd planned to trade. He wrenched open the door and dragged himself out, fumbling at his belt for his gun, slipping it out of sight in his pocket. Rising on shaky legs, he noticed Eve had joined the women, as had a young man he'd not seen before. All four were watching him as he stumbled towards them. His eyes meet Eve's.

"So you're siding with them, even after we took care of you when your Daddy died?" He sneered.

Eve stared back, confident with Carl by her side.

"You didn't take care of me; you treated me like dirt, made me work for you. You only let me stay 'cos you needed me" she retorted. Del took a few steps closer, leaning towards her, raising his hand. At once Carl was between them.

"Don't touch her" he demanded, catching the older man's hand before he could strike the girl. Del laughed.

"Got you wrapped around her little finger already has she?" He pulled his hand free, turning away from them. Suddenly he span back, pulling the gun from his pocket. He aimed it at Carl.

"You're the one got away from us yesterday aint you?" He demanded, finger tightening on the trigger. Carl felt himself shoved sideways as there was roar of gunfire, followed by a second almost immediately. He saw Del on the ground, eyes wide as he gasped for breath. Blood was seeping from an exit wound in his chest, Sasha standing behind him, the handgun still raised. Her gaze travelled past him, her expression sad.

"I'm sorry, I should have been faster." She said softly.

As Carol brushed past him he turned, following Sasha's gaze. Eve was face down, one arm twisted beneath her, blood pooling at her side.

"No!" He cried as he dropped down, taking her hand. Carol pushed him away.

"Wait, let me see to her" she reached out, checking the motionless girl's neck for a pulse. Carefully she rolled her onto her back. Eve's face was pale, her eyes closed. Carol checked her over, finding the wound.

"The bullet went straight through her arm, it's not as bad as it looks" she smiled as Eve's eyes opened.

"Hi" Carol brushed some hair from the confused girl's face. "Don't worry, it'll hurt like hell for a few days but you're going to be fine"

A panicked expression crossed Eve's face.

"Carl?" she tried to sit up "Is he okay?"

"I'm fine" Carl knelt, helping her to sit before pulling her into a tight hug.

"That was such a dumb move" he scolded "He could've killed you"

Eve gave him a pain filled smile, her eyes locking with his.

"But he didn't" she leaned closer to him and he instinctively tightened his arms around her. They didn't notice the knowing look and small smiles that Carol and Sasha exchanged. It was only when Rick cleared his throat loudly that they realised the others had arrived. Reluctantly they let go of each other and Carl help Eve to her feet. Even though she could walk unaided he insisted she leant against him as they returned to the car, causing Daryl to roll his eyes.

"Great now we gotta worry 'bout horny teenagers and their damn hormones" he muttered, causing Carol to snigger and Rick to shoot the young couple a panicked look.

The badly injured Del was shoved into Rick's car, bundled between Glenn and Michonne, Daryl in the front, armed with Sasha's handgun. Maggie slumped in the back of the other vehicle, with Sasha and Eve while Carl took the remaining place alongside Carol.

With Del as a hostage they returned to the camp. There weren't many survivors, many had been killed chasing them down and several others were lost to the walkers that now wandered inside the barrier. It didn't take long for the group to clear out the stray walkers and re-secure the fences and gate, claiming the house and outbuildings for themselves.

Del lasted a few hours before succumbing to the gunshot wound and once he was gone the last few men surrendered, finding themselves quickly locked in the shed they had kept prisoners in.

Carl was on watch, sitting on the platform eyes scanning the surrounding area. By the height of the moon he reckoned it was close to midnight, and almost time for Sasha to relieve him. A sound made him turn and he smiled when he saw Eve climb onto the platform. Her wound had been dressed and she'd cleaned up somehow, looking young and pretty in the moonlight. Carl fought a sudden urge to reach out and touch her soft hair. She was the first girl his age he'd ever met and now the adrenalin had worn off and his family was safe he felt very unsure around her. She shivered in the cold night air, pulling the thin jacket closer to her body. Without thinking he opened the oversized coat he was wearing and pulled her against him, wrapping the padded garment around them both. She snuggled closer and her uninjured arm slipped round his waist, the other resting on his chest as she nestled her head under his chin. He couldn't help the grin that spread over his face as they cuddled together in the darkness, oblivious of the others watching from the house.

Daryl gave a snort, turning to Rick.

"Better keep an eye on them two or you're gonna be a granddaddy sooner than you wanna be" he commented, grinning at the look of terror that crossed the former deputy's face before the man dashed out to chaperone his son and the latest member of their little group of survivors.

**END**

**A/N**

**I'm pretty sure I've exaggerated the effects of how poisonous mistletoe is but it worked for the story so please allow me some artistic license on this. **

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.**

**xxxx**


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